A Future for FitzSimmons
by DaLiza
Summary: Fitz and Simmons have an important talk.


As he entered the darkened S.H.I.E.L.D. laboratory, Fitz found the woman he loved frowning over a microscope. "I've been looking for you. I should have known you'd be here." After checking to make sure that they were alone, Fitz kissed Simmons's neck. "What's wrong? Are your samples not behaving themselves? Maybe I could talk to them for you. I'll use my angry voice so they know I mean business."

Simmons attempted a smile. "I appreciate your offer, but my samples are behaving exactly the way they should be."

"Then why are you making your 'I'm working on a problem that I'm having difficulty solving' face?"

"It's…it's nothing important really." Her gaze returned to the microscope.

Fitz gently turned her body to face his. "Jemma, we've known each other for ten years. I can tell when something's bothering you. Please tell me what it is."

A few moments passed before she raised her eyes. "Well, I was talking to my mum on the phone earlier and…" She paused, pondering how much to reveal. It felt too early in their relationship for this conversation.

Fitz's mind raced with possibilities. "Is your mum ill? Or your dad? Do you need to go home to take care of them? Wait a minute. The last time you said you were going to visit your parents you ended up undercover in Hydra. You're not going undercover again, are you? You were almost killed last time!"

"Don't worry, Fitz," Simmons rushed to assure him. "Both of my parents are in excellent health, and I'm not going undercover."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, taking a deep breath. "So, you were talking to your mum and…"

"I told her that we had started dating and-"

"She said that she doesn't approve of me." Fitz's shoulders slumped. "It's understandable. She wants you to be with someone more attractive, someone with bigger muscles, someone who never suffered brain damage."

Simmons gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "You're being ridiculous! Both of my parents think that you're wonderful. Why wouldn't they? They know that you're intelligent and kind and that you've saved my life on multiple occasions. My mum's exact words were: 'Finally, Jemma! I've been wondering how long it would take you to realize what your father and I have known for years.'"

Fitz laughed. "Did she really say all that?"

"She did. She claimed that she's had her suspicions about us ever since we were at the Academy together and I was talking about you every time I called home."

"My mum said the same thing," Fitz recalled. He had told her the news a couple days ago and she had been thrilled, asking question after question about how it had happened. "It's annoying that our mothers are always right."

"Agreed."

"So both of our mums are happy that we've started dating. What did your mum say that's bothering you?"

Simmons lowered her eyes. "She asked me if we…now that we're in a relationship…really, Fitz, it's a topic I don't think we're ready to discuss."

"Let's discuss it anyway. If you have a problem, I want to help fix it. That's what we do, Jemma. We help each other."

In response Simmons captured his lips with hers and threw her arms around his neck. For several seconds Fitz was powerless to resist her.

"Jemma," he gasped as he forced himself to pull away. "I know what you're doing. You're stalling."

"You know me too well," she admitted before seizing his mouth a second time.

An entire minute passed before Fitz was able to speak again. "I won't let you keep stall—" Another passionate kiss stopped his mouth. "Okay. We can stall for a few more minutes."

Many minutes later, Simmons was ready to tell him what was on her mind. "After expressing her happiness that you and I are finally in a relationship, my mum asked me about our plans for the future. Specifically, if we were going to have children."

"Oh." Fitz's mind conjured an image of a young girl with Jemma's smile, her brown hair in a ponytail, looking at slides through her first microscope. The thought of a miniature Jemma brought a smile to his lips. "Do you want to have children?"

"I like children. When I was very young, I believed that I would most likely have my own children someday. Yet I don't know if I would make a good mum. Parents are expected to tell their children all sorts of nonsense…things like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy…and people continually tell me that I'm not a good liar."

Fitz extended a hand to stroke her cheek. "I've seen how you take care of me, how you take care of our friends. I think you would be an amazing mother."

"Thank you, Fitz. I think you would be an equally amazing father. But how could we possibly work at S.H.I.E.L.D. while having a child? Our jobs are too dangerous. Can you imagine if I had been _pregnant_ when I was infected with the Chitauri virus? Or when we were dumped in the ocean? Or when I was trapped on another planet and Hive was trying to kill me?"

Fitz's insides churned. The idea of losing Jemma was terrifying enough, but losing Jemma and their _child_? No no no. There would be no coming back from that. He'd turn into a monster like Daisy's father. "If we wanted to start a family, we would have to leave S.H.I.E.L.D."

They sat in silence as each of them contemplated a future without S.H.I.E.L.D and the friends they had come to consider family. Eventually Fitz spoke. "Maybe we wouldn't have to leave entirely. Say we buy ourselves a house in Perthshire. We could build a secret lab in our house where we conduct experiments or design whatever tech the team needs."

"That would be expensive," Simmons pointed out. "Very expensive."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to buy a helicarrier. I bet they could find the money to give two of their best scientists a lab of their own. Maybe they'd even throw in a monkey or two."

"Fitz, I'm not living in a house with a monkey."

"Alright. No live monkeys. But I would buy a monkey stuffed animal for our child."

"A monkey stuffed animal would be better than a live one. But what about our friends? Wouldn't you miss them?"

"We could still see them. We could Skype with them, call them, have them over for tea when they're between missions. And when we're not working, instead of spending all our free time trying to escape certain death, we could be raising a tiny human being. You could teach her all about biology and chemistry and I'll teach her how to build the coolest toys any kid has ever had. She'll be a genius, Jemma!"

Simmons laughed at his enthusiasm. "So it would seem that you're open to the possibility of having children."

"I am. Are you?"

"I…I think so. Maybe." Simmons imagined introducing their child to all the wonders science had to offer. She imagined reading her favorite childhood books as bedtime stories. She imagined strolling along Scotland's beautiful countryside, holding hands with her best friend and the little person they had made together and then returning to their house…their _home_. "Yes. Someday."

"Someday," Fitz echoed. The word turned into a yawn. "I'm going to try to get some sleep before the next crisis comes our way. Perhaps I could convince you to join me? I sleep much better when we share a bed."

"So do I. I'll try not to steal all the blankets this time."

"Take all the blankets you want, Jemma. It's a small price to pay for having a beautiful woman sleep beside me."

Hand in hand they left the lab and walked to Fitz's room. Simmons went to Fitz's dresser and retrieved the black lacy nightshirt she kept in the bottom drawer. While she changed into the nightshirt, Fitz removed layers of clothing until he was clad only in dark purple boxers.

Simmons smiled when she saw them. "I love that color on you."

"I know. I wore them for you." A blush colored Fitz's cheeks. "I…uh…like your outfit too."

"I don't normally wear such fancy things to bed," Simmons confessed. "But I suspected you would find it appealing."

"It's definitely appealing." Fitz put his hands on Simmons's hips. "If I wasn't so exhausted…"

Her face inched closer to his. "You'd want to take it off of me."

"Very much so." His lips met hers and they exchanged a tender, lengthy kiss.

"It's been a long day for both of us," Simmons said. "Let's go to sleep."

They climbed into the bed. Simmons pulled the blankets over their bodies while Fitz wrapped one arm around her waist. Soon sleep overcame them and they started dreaming.

It wasn't uncommon for their dreams to become nightmares about losing each other. During their last sleepover, Fitz had dreamed that Simmons's hand had slipped through his as he was pulled back through the portal on Maveth. He woke up crying out her name. Simmons whispered words of comfort and stroked his back until he fell asleep again.

This time, however, there were no nightmares. Both dreamed happy, peaceful dreams about a house in Scotland and a child playing in the yard.

 _Thanks for reading! All comments are greatly appreciated._


End file.
